Tilting side-dump car.



c. H. CLARK. TILTING SIDE DUMP CAR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 30. 19H.

Patented May 9, 1916.

4 SHEETSSHEET 1.

INVENTOR C. H. CLARK.

TILTING SIDE DUMP CAR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 30,1913.

Patnted May9,1916.

4 SHEETSSHEET 2.

0. HL CLARK. TlLTlNG SIDE DUMP CAR.

Patented May 9, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3 APPLICATION FILED JULY 30.193

' /IVI}'VENTOR 5436?, zwu

'C. H. CLARK. TILTlNG SIDE DUMP CAR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 30,19l3.

Patented May 9,1916;

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

s E s s E N n w UNITED @TATEE CHARLES E. CLARK, OF GRAFTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 CLARK CAR COMPANY, OF FITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF NEW eraser.

TILTING SIDE-DUMP CAR.

Application filed July 30, 1913. Serial No. 781,986.

ing Side-Dump Cars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in the tilting side dump car patented by me October 31, 1911, No. 1,007,533, and has particular reference to the provision ofimproved and highly efiicient means for tilting the car body, also improved body-holding and releasing means. I

One object is to provide two body-tilting mechanism's-one adapted to be operated at the car and the other from the locomotive or other available point, whereby the cars of atrain may be dumped individually, or all the cars may be dumped simultaneously. Similarly, the latch mechanisms of the cars of a train may be operated either separately or collectively, their unitary operation being accomplished preferably by the same force that dumps the cars. The individually operating dumping mechanisms are preferably actuated manually, and the same is true of nisms are always available for the dumping operation.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1- is a side elevation of a portion of a side dump car constructed in accordance with the invention, and Fig. 2 is a top plan,-partly broken away, of a portion of such car. Figs. 3, 4 and5 are vertical cross-sections taken on lines 3-3, H, and 55, respectively, of Fig. 1, in Fig. 3 the car body and only a portion of the operating mechanism being shown in dumping position in dotted lines, and in Fig. 5 all of the illustratedparts are shownin such position; also in. Fig. 3 a por- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented ma biiare.

tion of the bolster diaphragm and other'bs parts that would obstruct a View of the latch operating cylinder are omitted. Fig. 6 is a vertical central section of one end of the car body and one of the fixed end frames, together with mechanism associated with said parts, said view being taken on line 66 of Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a vertical section of the fluid-pressure actuated latch-operating mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, 2 designates the longitudinal center sills of' the car underframe, and supported at each end of the latter is an upright transverse frame 3, of which 4 is the wall-forming diaphragm. The car body 5 is supported adjacent each end by a transverse bolster 6 with the central portion of the bolster enlarged downwardly and curved to form the toothed rocker 7 which meshes with and is adapted to roll on the horizontal rack 8. The loadcarrying portion of the body consists ,of the normally horizontal floor 9, fixed end walls 10, and downwardly and outwardly opening longitudinalside walls or doors 11, one of the latter forming a downward and outward extension at the dumping side of the car when the body is inclined, as shown at the left hand of Fig. 5. Duplicate bodythe hook-like latch heads 13. Shafts 12 eX- tend to opposite ends of the car, and secured thereto are the hand levers 14 which extend upwardly through platform 15. Coiiperating with each latch head 13 is an arm-16 pivoted at its upper end to bolster 6, the lower portion of the arm being slotted at 13 where it embraces pin 17 carried by the guide llnk .18, said link being pivoted to and depending from the underframe' and adapted to direct pin 17 into and out of position for engaging latch head 13. As shafts 12 extend from end to end of the car, all of latch heads 13 at one side or the other may be manually released by operating the appropri'ate lever 14 at either end. When dumped by manual power the latches at the unreleased side remain inholding position, preventing the body fromtilting in the wrong direction, but without interfering with the dumping operation, arms 16 of the unreleased latch devices simply moving downfluid-pressure mechanism which consists of a cylinder 19 which may be secured to one of girders 2, with the lower extremity of stem 21 of piston 20 bifurcated at 22 to embrace pin 23 of bell-crank 24, the latter fulcrumed in bracket 25 secured to the under sides of the girders 2. Extendin in opposite directions from the bell-cran are arms 26, each slotted at its outer end at 26 to embrace a pin 27 at the lower extremity of arm 27 on shaft 12. Normally, the inner ends ofaslots 26 engage pins 27, as in Fig. 3, so that when air or other pressure fluid is admitted to cylinder 19 the lowering of piston 20 shifts bell-crank 24 and arms 26 into the position shown in Fig. 5, releasing all the latch heads 13 from pins 17, the mechanical power mechanism operating to release the latch heads at both sides so that the car body is free to dump toward either side of the track. The air pressure may be maintained as long as it is desired to hold the body in dumping position, during which time hand levers 14 are upwardly tilted as shown in Fig. 5. But as soon as the air is released the levers drop by gravity'to the position shown in Fig. 3, returning the latch'heads 13 to position to be automatically engaged by pins 17 when the body rocks back to horizontal position as in Fig.

4. Similarly, when manually operated the, latch heads remain in unlocked position only so long as one of the levers 14 is held raised, the lever upon being released dropping to vnormal position and returning the latch heads to holding position.

The mechanism for tilting the car body and for controlling it throughout its tilting movement will now bedescribed.

Secured to and projecting outwardly from the opposite end walls 10 of the body are the bearing-forming trunnions 30 which are located at the center of rocking of the body, and hence movable horizontally as the body rocks. J ournaled on each trunnion 30 is v pinion '31, Figs. 3 and 6, whichmeshes with transverse horizontalrack 32 at the under side of the top chord of end frame 3. J our naled in the tilting body and extending therethrough from end to end beneath floor 9 is shaft 33, and interposedat each end of the car body between: shaft 33 and pinion;

31 is a train of reducing gearing, the ends of the train being mounted on trunnion 30 and shaft 33, the intermediate portion of .the train being mounted on journal 34 rojectlng from the end of the car body. wheel '35 of the train mounted on trunnion is secured to pinion 31 lay-hub Thus f it will be seen that the mechanisms at the opposite ends of the car body are so connected that said ends must move in-unison and that movement communicated to one end of the body is directly transmitted to the other end.

Force for dumping the car maybe appligd; by either of two means which may be erated interchangeably, neither interfering with the other. One mechanism is operated at the car for dumping each car individually, being preferably embodied in manualpower means. The other mechanism is actuated by mechanical power means, preferably by air pressure derived from a train line to whichair is admitted for dumping a number of cars of a train simultaneously. For the manual operation, hand wheels 37 the interposed trains of gearing constituting winches of such power that the operation may be readily performed by hand. When operated by hand the appropriate lever 14 is thrown to release the latches which hold that portion of the car which is to rise in the tilting movement, and then one of the hand wheels 37 is rotated as required for tilting the body. The fluid-pressure tilting operation is accomplished by means of cylinders are secured to the ends of shaft 33 so that 4' i the body may be dumped from either end,

40 located at either end of the body, each having one end thereof pivotally connected at 41 to head 42 which embraces the top chord of end frame 3 and which, together with cylinder 40, is slidable horizontally thereon. At the inner side of head 42 is a depending bifurcated extension 43 which embraces gear hub 36, Figs. 6 and 3. Rod 45 of piston 44 extends through the outer end of cylinder 40 and is adapted to seat in notch 46 of one or the other of two abutments 46 secured to frame 3. Bearing 41 and the'head cylinder 40 are ported at 47 to i admit air or other'pressure-fluid to the cylinder, and when soadmitted the cylinder is caused to move horizontally, as shown in Fig. 5"and in dotted lines in Fig. 3, piston 44 being held fixed by abutment .46, as will be understood. As trunnions 30 and gear hubs 36 are embraced by the bifurcated portions- 43 of heads 42, they must traveltherewith, and hence tilting'force is imparted to the car body.

And as said trunnions are geared to the fixed frame ends by pinions 31 and racks 32, and as the gear mechanisms at opposite ends of the car are connected by shaft 33, the same force and the samemovement is nnparted to each .end of the body.

Cylinders 40 may be turned on their pivots 41 toextend toward either side of the car, determined by the direction in which the body is to tilt. Thus, if the load is to be dumped at the lefthand side, as in Fig. 3, I the cylinder is projected toward the righthand side of the car, while if. the .bOdY is to be dumped at'therighthand' side the cylinder is thrown over or in a reverse position from that shown in Fig. 3.

When operating with compressed air a desirable arrangement is such that the air is first admitted to cylinder 19 for unlatching the body and is then passed on to cylinders 40 at opposite ends of the car after the latch mechanism has been operated. This may be conveniently accomplished by connecting to trainline 50 for dumping one or any desired number of cars, it first depresses the latch-operating piston 20 of each car and releases the latches, as shown in Fig. 5, and as piston 20 moves downward it uncovers pipe connection 52 and admits the air to cylinders 40 which results in tilting the car body toward one side or the other, determined by the position of the cylinders.

lit is characteristic of the invention that each of the dumping mechanisms is operative in all positions of the body, so that either mechanism may supplement or supersede the other whenever necessary.

In the present adaptation, as in that of my above mentioned patent, the center of gravity of the loaded body lowers during.

the tilting movement and facilitates the dumping operation. At the-same time the center of gravity of the car body itself rises, so that when entirely empty the tendency of the body is to rock back to upright or horizontal position, thus automatically righting itself upon the release of the fluid pressure, and automatically relatching. Wood or other bufl'er or cushioning devices 53 may be arranged on the underframe for checking and limiting the tilting movement, being engaged by the body when fully tilted,'as shown in Fig. 5.

Each of the side doors 11 is hinged at 55 beneath floor 9 and is adapted to swing downwardly and outwardly, forming a chute-like extension which discharges the lading away from the track. The opposite.

doors are connected by the floating bar 56 and links 57, said bar being movable in a double guide 58 having the opposite upstanding curved faces 59 which control or direct the movement of the bar through the medium' of rollers 60 at opposite sides of the latter and engaging said curved faces.

' The doors are operated by the connecting mechanism as described in my above mentioned patent, the door at the dumping side of the body automatically opening as that Side lowers, and automatically closing as the body returns to upright position. The connecting mechanismholds the doors closed when the body is in erect position, and similarly holds the inactive door during the dumping operation.

Claims for the manually-operated bodytilting mechanism herein shown and described are made in an application for patent filed by me concurrently herewith.

I claim 1. In a dump car, the combination of a frame, a body mounted to tilt on the frame in opposite directions for dumping at either side of thexcar, latch devices for the body located at opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the car, fluid pressure actuated means connected to the latch devices for releasing them, and reversibly mounted body tilting means for tilting the body toward either side.

2. In a dump car, the combination'of a frame, a body mounted thereon to tilt toward either side of the car, latch devices located at opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the car for holding the body erect, means 'for releasing the latch devices simultaneously, and means for controlling the direction of tilting of the re leased body.

3. In a dump car, the combination of a frame, a body mounted to tilt thereon toward either side of the car, latch devices latches for releasing the latches simultaneously, and means for controlling the direction of tilting of the released body.

4. In a dump car, the combination of a car body mounted to tilt toward either side for dumping, latch devices for holding the body against tilting in one direct on and other latch devices for holding the body' against tilting in the opposite direction, means for simultaneously moving all of the latch devicesto body releasing position, and meansfor controlling the direction of tilting of the bod 5. Tn a dump car, the combination of a car body mounted to tilt toward either side for dumping, latch devices for holding the body against tilting in one direction and other latch devices for holding the body against tilting in the opposite direction, manual means and mechanical-power means operative interchangeably for simultaneously moving all of the latch devices to body-releasing position, and 'means for controlling the direction of tilting of the body. A 6. In a dump car, the combination of a frame, a body mounted to tilt-thereon for.

dumping at opposite sides of the car, longitudinally slotted arms pivoted to and depending from the body, guide l1nks--one ot'al -connection for tilting the body toward;

j.. bf thelcylinder being reversible about; said 'foreach armpivoted to the frame and adjustably connected to said arms by means of the slots in'the latter, and latch devices onthe frame adapted to operatively vconnect with said arms. 7 a

In a dump car, the combination of a frame, a. body mounted to tilt thereon toward either side of the .car, shafts located.

at opposite sides of the center of the frame and extending from end to end of the latter, fluidpressure-actuated means located adjacentoppositdehds of the frame and operatively connected to said shafts, and bodyreleasing position.

a, '8. In a dump car,

holding latches mounted on the shafts and adapted to be moved by the latter into bodythe combination-of a frame, a body mounted to tilt on the frame, a-. iiuid-pressure cylinder supported-by the frame and pivot-ally connected to the body and adapted to be rotated about said pivotal connection and thereby extended toward either sidef the car, a piston and piston rod, and plston rod holders located on the frame for confining the rod in either posi tion of the cylinder. 9. In a dump car, the combination of a 1 frame, a body mounted to tilt on theframe,

[a device. supported by and movableon the frame transversely of the carwand opera- I ti'v'ely connected to the body for tilting the v latter, and a power cylinder and piston pivotally connected tosaid device and-en ported by the frame and ad'a pted to e t'urnedto reverse positions-about saidpiveither side of the car.

10. In a dumpcar, the combination frame, abody mounted 't'ojrock on the frame,

a device supported by and 'movable on the";

frame transversely jofiv the car,- a' projection 'on "the body with the proj'ect'ioneng'aged, by said movable device, and a power cylinder landipiston P y connected'to saiddesaid viceian'dsupported by the *frame and adapt- "ed to-he turned to reverse positions about pivotal connection for rocking the body toward'either side of the car.

" ofthe car, ;"a projection on the'b'ody engagedbysaid movable device, a power cylinder' 11. In a dump car, the combination frame, -a'body mounted to rock on'the frame, a devi'eempvable on the frame transveresly 1 movable'-on' the frameqand 'pivotallyfeonnectjedto said movable device, the position pivotal :c'onnectio'n for rocking the bodyto ward either side of-the ear, a piston and I piston rod, and piston rod holders onthe frame for confiningjthe rod ineither position of the cylinder. v.

'12, In a dump cant-he combination of a carbody mounted'to tilt towardeither side for dumping, latch devices for holding the body against tilting, and manual means and mechanical-power. means operative interchangeably foractuating'the latch devices, l3. In a dump car, the combination of a frame, a'body mounted to tilt thereon for dumping at; opposite sides of the :car, latch devices movably mounted in the frame,

means carried by the bodynit opposite sides Y of its center adapted to: be engaged and-released by the latch devices, and.- manual projecting through' 'the arm slots,*-rlatches the body at opposite sides adapted itoengage the .piiisgriangd:latch'operating means.

l5. 'In a:dump-. c'jar, combination of .a

"frame, a'. body mounted on the frame'j'to" tilttowardeither side-of the car, latch devices forholding the body erect, a bell-crank operatively' connectedr'toflthe latches for operating them simultaneously, bell-crank operating-means, and- -body-tilting.means control'lably connected to the latch-operat- 16. In a dump car, the combination of a sframe a body mou'lritedv on the frame to tilt toward'either side. of] the car, latch devices adapted to releasably'connect wit the body at opposite sides of the center of thelatter,

aibellbra'nk fulcrumed to the frame,'opera- Y tive connections between the bell-crank and the-latch mechanismsfiand a power cylinder and piston with'the pistonlopera'ti-vely connected tokthe bell-,crankfdrY-moving the latter to simultaneously re'lease the-latch mechi anismsr In testimony Li'n presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses;

than I an my signature CHARLES LIZ-CLARK. 

